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into his eyes. "David, are you sure you want to marry me?"
He slipped his arms around her waist. "I'm never been
surer of anything in my life."
"Never?" Surely he'd wanted to marry Harriet more.
"Never," he repeated. "When are you going to marry me?"
"You're rushing me," she protested, pressing her hands
against his chest to discourage him from drawing her even
closer into his embrace. "It takes time to arrange a wedding.
There are so many things to do and I don't even have a ring
yet," she reminded him.
"A wedding?"
"Yes. That's what people have when they get married," she
teased.
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"You mean as in a formal one with ushers and
bridesmaids, and an endless wait until you're my wife?" His
arms slackened. "Oh, Diana! Not that again."
She shoved against his chest.
He released her.
"That's exactly what I mean. I know you've been there and
done that, but this will be the first time for me," she reminded
him in a small, hurt voice. "If you think I'm going to be
satisfied with anything less, you're wrong!"
He sighed and ran both hands through his hair. "I was
hoping you'd want to marry me sooner than all that. That's all
I meant, sweetheart. If you want a big formal wedding, then
we'll have a big, formal wedding."
"Why?" She stared at him with tears in her eyes, willing
him to say because he loved her.
He shrugged. "It's your day. I just want to marry you."
She leaned on the railing over the river and stared into the
dark water below, afraid to ask the questions she so badly
wanted answered.
His hands came down on the railing near hers and she felt
his hard warmth against her back, imprisoning her between
the railing and his body.
She shivered as she felt his lips brushing against the side
of her neck. "What's wrong, sweetheart?"
She turned in his embrace and looked up at him. "I love
you."
He pressed a gentle, tender kiss against her mouth.
She closed her eyes on a flood of tears. He didn't love her.
Worst, he still hadn't made peace with the Lord.
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"Do you have any plans for this Saturday?" he asked,
lifting his head.
She shook her head.
"Good. Then we can go looking for your ring Saturday."
A man who loved the woman he wanted to marry would
have done that himself. "I thought you'd pick it out yourself."
"I thought it might be nice if we did it together, but if
you'd rather I did it alone, I "
"No. Picking one out together is a great idea." She ran a
finger over his left hand and felt the ring on his third finger.
What would be nicer still was picking out one for him.
He caressed her cheek. "Is there something else bothering
you?"
Now was the time to tell him she couldn't set a date until
he'd reconciled with God, but she found that her courage had
deserted her. She shook her head. "No."
He stared down into her eyes for several long moments.
Then he kissed her cheek. "I'll do my best to be a good
husband and make you happy, Diana."
She slipped her arms around his waist and buried her face
against his shoulder. "And I'll try very hard to make you
happy."
"You only need to marry me, and I'll be happy," he told
her, returning her embrace.
That would probably be true if he loved her.
He sighed. "Now let's talk about this formal wedding you
and I are going to have."
She looked up at him. "Are you sure you want that?"
"I want you, Diana. Nothing more. Nothing less."
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He was probably stretching the truth, but as far as she was
concerned, his answer was completely satisfying.
* * * *
* * * *
"Why can't I go, too?"
It was Saturday morning. David and Carolyn were in the
Blazer, heading for his mother's house, where he would be
leaving her while he and Diana went to pick out her ring.
"Because this is something that Diana and I need to do
alone."
"Are there going to be a lot of things you two are going to
want to do without me, Daddy?"
He winced at the anxiety in Carolyn's voice. He turned on
his left turn signal, guided the SUV out of traffic, turned onto
a quiet street, and turned off the engine.
He unbuckled his seat belt, got out of the front seat and
slipped into the back next to Carolyn. "Sweetie, you are the
most important person to me in the whole world."
"Even more important than Diana?"
"Yes. Even more important than her, sweetie. I love you
more than anyone else in the world. When Diana and I are
married, some things will change for you and me, but not
that."
"What kind of things, Daddy?" she asked, her voice and
eyes full of anxiety.
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"Well, for one thing, you're going to have to knock and
wait to be told it's okay before you come into my our
bedroom."
"But Daddy, I always come into your room without
knocking."
"I know, sweetie." He stroked her hair. "but that'll have to
change."
"I don't want it to change. Maybe I don't want you to
marry her after all!"
He cupped her face in his hands and kissed her on the tip
of her nose. "You don't mean that, sweetie."
"I do because I don't want things to change between me
and you, Daddy! I want you to stay my Daddy!"
"None of the things that really matter will change. I'll
always be your daddy and love you more than anyone else in
the world. My being married to Diana will make us both
happier. There will be adjustments at first, but they'll be
worth it because we both want her to be a part of our lives.
Yes?"
"Yes ... I guess, Daddy."
"And I promise you that Diana and I will try to include you
in almost everything we do from now on." [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]